OF 

CHARLES  E.  WEST,  A.M., 

ox 

RETIRING  FROM  THE  OFFICE  OF  PRINCIPAL 

OF  THE 

RUTGERS  FE3IALE  INSTITUTE, 

WHICH  HE  HAD  HELD  TWELVE  YEARS. 


DELIVERED  BY  REQUEST,  JULY  11th,  1851. 


PRINTED  BY  JOHN  A.  GRAY,  79  FULTON,  COR.  GOLD  STREET. 


1851. 


lEx  ICtbrtB 


SEYMOUR  DURST 


When  you  leave,  please  leave  this  book 

Because  it  has  been  said 
"Ever  thing  comes  t'  him  who  waits 

Except  a  loaned  book." 


AVIRY  AK(  III  1 1  (  II  K  M  AND  I'lM  AIMS  LIBRARY 
(ill  l  01  Si  y\k  )i  k  B.  Di  ksi  ()i  i)  York  I.ihr  \ry 


OF 


CHARLES  E.  WEST,  A.M., 

ON 

RETIRING  FROM  THE  OFFICE  OF  PRINCIPAL 

OF  THE 

RUTGERS  FEMALE  INSTITUTE, 

WHICH  HE  HAD  HELD  TWELVE  YEARS. 


DELIVERED  BY  REQUEST,  JULY  11th,  1851. 


PRINTED  BY  JOHN  A.  GRAY,  79  FULTON,  COR  GOLD  STREET. 

1851. 


VS2 


Sierra. 


I  have  been  requested  to  make  a  few  remarks  on  taking  my  leave 
of  the  responsible  situation  I  have  held  in  this  Institution  from  its 
organization — a  period  of  more  than  twelve  years.  It  is  with  no  or- 
dinary emotion  that  I  stand  here  for  the  last  time,  and  look  upon  my 
beloved  pupils  and  fellow-teachers  with  whom  I  am  so  soon  to  part ; 
in  whose  society  it  has  been  my  delight  to  mingle  ;  and  for  whom 
I  entertain  a  lively  and  heartfelt  interest. 

It  is  natural  that  we  should  glance  at  the  past,  and  look  at  the 
memorials  we  have  seen  reared  as  we  passed  along.  I  regret  that 
we  have  so  little  time  for  so  pleasing  a  service.  The  history  of  Rut- 
gers Institute  is  written  on  the  tablets  of  my  heart.  I  have  watched 
its  rise  and  growth ;  have  sympathized  with  all  that  related  to  its 
honor  and  prosperity.  It  was  the  commencement  of  a  new  era  in 
the  cause  of  Female  Education  in  this  city.  Not  that  its  system  of 
instruction  is  peculiar,  but  because  of  its  extent.  With  the  exception 
of  the  dead  languages,  its  course  is  quite  as  extensive  as  that  of  our 
best  colleges.  It  fixes  no  limits  as  to  time.  It  has  no  four  years' 
course.  The  pupil's  graduation  depends  on  her  attainments.  It  is 
no  patent  system,  guaranteeing  perfection  in  any  particular  art  or 
science  by  a  course  of  six  lessons  of  an  hour  each !  It  begins  at  the 
foundation,  and  leads  the  pupil  along,  step  by  step.  It  seeks  for  the 
healthy  development  of  mind.  It  takes  in  the  whole  being,  body  and 
soul,  and  requires  that  both  be  developed  together,  and  not  one  at 
the  expense  of  the  other.  It  holds  out  no  Arcadian  bowers  of  ease 
to  the  indolent  or  fashionable  young  lady.  It  demands  labor.  If 
she  would  drink  at  living  fountains,  and  breathe  the  bracing  air,  she 
must  leave  the  couch  of  sloth  and  scale  the  mountain  tops.  She 
must  look  upon  this  glorious  world,  and  study  its  matchless  beauty  ; 


4 


she  must  look  within  herself,  and  see  a  miniature  of  Deity — a  living 
soul,  and  train  it  for  the  skies.  This  is  education — self-education, 
and  in  truth  there  is  no  other.  All  that  schools  can  do  is  to  hold 
out  the  hand  of  encouragement,  and  point  the  way. 

Fears  were  entertained,  at  the  organization  of  the  Institution,  that 
it  might  prove  a  failure.  Some  desired  that  such  might  be  the  result. 
It  was  called  sectarian,  although  all  denominations,  both  Jew  and 
Gentile,  had  part  in  it.  It  was  thought  such  large  numbers  as  at- 
tended it  could  not  be  properly  instructed,  little  reflecting  that  here, 
as  in  the  Universities  and  Gymnasia  of  Europe,  thousands  can  be 
taught  where  the  proper  classification  of  pupils  and  studies,  and  the 
requisite  supply  of  teachers,  exist.  Some  thought  private  instruction 
more  favorable  to  the  scholar  than  public ;  that  the  manners  would 
be  injured  by  mingling  with  plebeians.  But  the  question  at  once 
arises,  Who  in  a  democratic  country  are  plebeians  ?  Do  they  exclu- 
sively belong  to  the  humbler  walks  of  life  ?  Does  wealth  or  birth 
confer  exemption  from  this  term  of  obloquy  and  reproach  ?  Must 
we  not  look  elsewhere  for  the  right  application  of  this  distinctive  and 
opprobrious  appellation  ?  Ought  it  not  to  be  applied  to  the  vicious 
and  degraded,  whether  they  are  dandled  in  the  lap  of  luxury,  or  fam- 
ish on  the  crumbs  of  a  stinted  charity  ?  I  am  happy  to  state  we  have 
made  no  other  distinction  here  than  what  is  founded  on  respectability 
of  character.  Our  doors  have  been  thrown  open  to  the  daughters 
of  the  virtuous  and  the  good,  and  I  will  venture  to  affirm  that  no- 
where, in  any  similar  school  in  our  country,  can  there  be  found  young 
ladies  more  meritorious  and  deserving,  or  who  have  higher  claims  to 
respectability. 

The  changes  were  rung  again  that  the  Institution  was  aristocratic  ; 
that  the  prices  of  tuition  were  so  extravagant,  and  the  demand  for 
style  and  costliness  of  dress  so  exorbitant,  that  none  but  the  daugh- 
ters of  the  affluent  could  obtain  access  to  its  privileges !  But  why 
pursue  such  shadows,  when  it  is  notorious  that  the  prices  of  tuition 
are  not  one  half  as  great  as  those  of  the  private  schools  of  the  city  ? 
and  the  extravagance  in  dress  complained  of  would  merge  into  the 
calicoes  and  de  laines  of  Lowell  and  Manchester ! 

A  word  to  those  who  believe  in  solitary  study.  Solitude  is  uncon- 
genial to  human  nature,  and  especially  is  it  so  to  the  young.  What 
is  there  in  the  life  of  the  recluse  to  awaken  the  intellect  and  stir  the 
sympathies  ?  This  is  done  by  the  attrition  of  mind  with  mind.  All 
other  education  must  be  inoperative.  There  must  be  a  generous 
rivalry — a  fellow  sympathy.  What  is  education,  but  a  knowledge  of 
the  humau  heart,  its  wants,  its  infirmities,  its  aspirations,  and  its  des- 


6 


tiny  ?  And  where  can  this  be  so  well  acquired  as  where  spirit  is  in 
communion  with  spirit  ?  Our  country  of  bustling  activity  and  un- 
bounded enterprise  is  certainly  not  the  theatre  for  the  advocacy  of 
such  a  system.  Here  the  people  must  be  educated  together.  They 
must  become  acquainted  with  one  another.  Here  we  have  no  titled 
ancestry,  no  hereditary  privileges,  no  aristocracy  save  the  ephemeral 
mushroom  of  wealth  which  springs  up  in  the  night,  and  vanishes  in 
the  morning. 

Then  the  objection  arose  that  our  studies  were  of  too  elevated  and 
difficult  a  range ;  that  the  rights  of  the  colleges  were  invaded  ;  that 
logic,  metaphysics,  and  the  higher  mathematies  did  not  belong  as 
studies  to  young  ladies ;  that  they  should  be  dealt  with  more  gently 
by  the  selection  of  studies  on  a  level  with  their  capacities  !  Many  a 
boding  note  was  rung  in  the  ear  of  the  speaker,  kindly  warning  him 
to  beware  lest  the  Institution  founder  upon  this  fatal  rock.  As  though 
the  domaiu  of  thought,  and  the  vast  stores  of  accumulated  knowledge, 
belonged  exclusively  to  man  !  As  though  no  Somerville  had  mas- 
tered the  profound  mysteries  of  mathematical  analysis,  or  no  Mit- 
chell could  gaze  out  upon  the  heavens,  and  watch  the  silent  move- 
ments of  yon  shining  orbs,  and  discover  what  had  escaped  the  teles- 
copic gaze  of  all  the  Astronomical  Observatories  of  Europe  and 
America — a  new  comet ! 

That  these  studies  have  not  spoiled  the  pupils,  or  injured  the  In- 
stitution, is  to  be  seen  in  the  reports  of  the  ablest  mathematicians 
in  the  country,  who  have  served  as  Committees  of  Examination  from 
year  to  year,  and  who  have  uniformly  expressed  their  astonishment 
at  the  progress  made  in  these  sublime  studies,  and  the  compactness 
and  vigor  given  to  the  minds  of  the  pupils. 

But  here  let  us  state  that  this  prejudice  against  woman  is  the 
growth  of  many  generations.  She  has  been  degraded  in  all  ages  of 
the  world;  but  nowhere  has  her  degradation  been  so  complete  as  in 
barbarous  lands.  Christianity  has  had  to  struggle  with  this  despot- 
ism of  gigantic  growth,  and  has  not  yet  fully  triumphed  ;  so  difficult 
is  it  to  abandon  error  and  come  out  for  the  truth.  Some,  where  the 
humanizing  influences  of  Christianity  prevail,  have  gone  to  the  oppo- 
site extreme,  and  regarded  woman  as  a  toy  !  This  is  but  a  refine- 
ment of  the  old  prejudice ;  and  which  is  to  be  preferred,  to  be  re- 
garded as  a  slave  or  a  toy,  I  leave  to  the  discrimination  of  the  sex 
to  determine  !  But  let  us  hope  for  better  things.  When  men  be- 
come more  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  our  blessed  religion,  when  they 
are  less  selfish,  when  education  shall  be  more  widely  diffused,  woman 
will  take  her  true  rank,  and  be  regarded  not  only  as  the  coiiyxinion, 


6 


but  the  equal  of  raan — his  equal  in  all  that  constitutes  an  intellectual 
and  moral  being,  endowed  with  the  same  godlike  capacities,  the 
same  spiritual  wants,  the  same  longings  after  immortality. 

Let  us  take  a  right  stand-point,  and  look  at  this  subject  in  its  true 
light.  Does  the  soul  know  of  any  distinction  of  sex  ?  Is  not  every 
soul,  whether  it  be  that  of  man  or  woman,  a  unity  ?  Has  it  not  an 
duality  of  its  own  ?  And  if  so,  why  ought  it  not  to  be  culti- 
vi  d  by  all  the  appliances  which  can  be  brought  to  its  aid  ?  I  am 
now  speaking  of  the  soul,  and  of  its  education  in  the  abstract.  Why 
educate  one  half  of  the  human  race,  and  leave  the  other  in  ignorance  ? 
Why  not  give  both  the  same  means  of  culture  ?  How  is  it  possible, 
in  the  constitution  of  society,  to  neglect  the  one,  and  not  have  the 
baleful  influences  of  such  neglect  visited  upon  the  other  ?  But  we 
are  told  man  has  a  different  mission  in  the  world — that  his  occupa- 
tions are  different.  True,  and  these  differ  among  themselves.  One 
is  a  merchant,  another  a  mechanic.  One  is  a  lawyer,  a  physician,  or 
a  farmer  ;  and  each  requires  a  training  peculiar  to  his  calling.  These 
different  trades  and  professions  are  but  means  to  an  end.  Men  are 
obliged  to  lend  themselves  as  instruments  to  satisfy  their  temporal 
wants.  In  one  view,  this  toiling  day  after  day  and  year  aft?r  year 
for  a  livelihood,  is  an  evil ;  for  the  body  seems  to  be  the  all-absorb- 
ing object  of  interest ;  the  soul  is  lost  sight  of,  and  made  subservient, 
the  higher  to  the  lower,  the  immortal  to  the  mortal,  the  spiritual  to 
the  temporal.  Still,  it  has  been  ordained  that  man  shall  gain  his  bread 
by  the  sweat  of  his  brow,  and  who  shall  dispute  the  wisdom  of  the 
Almighty  ?  But  the  question  at  issue  lies  beneath  all  these  consider- 
ations. It  is,  whether  a  thorough  and  substantial  education  acquired 
in  youth  would  act  as  an  impediment  to  man  or  woman  in  the  avo- 
cations of  life,  whether  those  avocations  be  humble  or  exalted?  In 
other  words,  is  intellectual  culture,  apart  from  all  other  considerations, 
worth  any  thing  to  its  possessor  ?  If  so,  then  woman  should  receive 
that  culture.  It  does  not  of  consequence  follow,  that  she  should  be- 
come skilled  in  the  various  trades  and  professions.  She  should  study 
mathematics,  not  for  the  purpose  of  navigation  or  civil  engineering, 
but  for  the  exact  and  rigid  discipline  they  furnish.  She  should  make 
herself  acquainted  with  the  ancient  classics,  that  her  soul  may  be- 
come imbued  with  the  spirit  of  beauty  which  glows  upon  the  pages 
of  Homer  and  Virgil.  She  should  study  the  constitution  of  nature  as 
laid  open  by  chemistry  and  natural  philosophy.  She  should  be  made 
acquainted  with  the  nature  of  mind,  and  the  laws  which  govern  it. 
In  a  word,  she  should  enjoy  the  same  facilities  for  intellectual  culture 
that  are  given  to  the  other  sex, 


7 


These  considerations  derive  additional  force  from  the  position 
woman  holds  in  society.  What  important  trusts  are  committed  to 
her  care.  What  a  commanding  influence  she  exerts  in  the  family  and 
in  society.  The  early  training  of  the  young  is  almost  entirely  intrusted 
to  her.  How  often  is  the  destiny  of  the  child  at  the  disposal  of  the 
mother !  She  imparts  to  it  the  coloring  of  her  own  mind.  It  reflects 
her  image,  not  only  physically  but  morally.  It  studies  her  character, 
and  adopts  the  sentiments  and  feelings  which  she  cherishes.  If  then 
woman  is  so  powerful  an  educator,  if  she  wields  so  subtle  and  wide- 
spread an  influence,  ought  she  not  to  receive  the  most  careful  instruc- 
tion ?  Should  she  be  intrusted  to  ignorant  and  superficial  adventurers, 
who,  through  misfortune  or  want  of  success  in  some  servile  employ- 
ment, turn  their  attention  as  a  last  resort  to  teaching  ?  It  is  thus  that 
the  profession  has  been  brought  into  disrepute.  The  community  look 
upon  it  as  a  menial  occupation — one  that  can  be  taken  up  at  any  time, 
without  preparation.  Who  but  society  is  responsible  for  this  want  of 
appreciation  ?  I  do  not  speak  of  myself,  but  in  behalf  of  my  profession. 
Teachers  are  too  poorly  paid.  It  is  the  doctrine  that  they  must  teach 
for  nothing  and  find  themselves.  At  any  rate,  those  who  will  work 
the  cheapest  are  more  certain  of  finding  employment.  I  have  known 
instances  in  country  schools,  where  these  were  deemed  indispensable 
requisites  in  a  teacher — low  wages,  and  a  strong  arm  for  flagellation ! 
How  is  it  even  in  cultivated  society?  Are  not  the  milliner  and 
dancing-master  munificently  sustained,  while  a  miserable  pittance  is 
doled  out  to  him  who  is  employed  in  disciplining  mind  ?  No,  this  is 
not  the  field  for  the  accumulation  of  wealth.  And  if  by  chance  a 
teacher  by  a  little  New-England  shrewdness  seems  to  prosper,  or 
actually  does  accumulate  a  competency,  the  eyes  of  the  woild  are 
turned  upon  him,  and  he  is  regarded  as  a  prodigy  of  stratagem  and 
dishonesty ;  and  the  wonder  is,  that  a  character  so  dangerous  to  the 
peace  of  society  should  be  left  to  run  at  large.  Yes,  I  charge  this 
low  estimation  of  the  teacher  upon  society.  Look  at  the  miserable 
caricature  of  the  pedagogue,  which  is  but  the  embodiment  of  public 
sentiment  —  a  wretched  old  man,  of  attenuated  features  and  pointed 
nose,  whose  grisly  hair,  and  bent  form,  and  glaring  eye-balls,  and  bony 
hand  bearing  the  uplifted  scourge,  betoken  that  his  origin  is  from 
below,  and  that  his  business  is  to  wander  among  the  tombs  and  tor- 
ment people  before  the  time. 

But  let  us  be  serious,  and  consider  how  vast  are  the  responsibilities, 
how  incalculable  the  interests  committed  to  him  who  is  charged  with 
the  moulding  of  mind.  Who  can  describe  the  qualifications  or  the 
character  of  him  who  would  offer  his  services  for  such  a  work  \  He 


s 


must  have  enlarged  and  reverential  views  of  God.  lie  should  look  upon 
man  as  a  fallen,  sinful  being,  still  bearing  the  impress  of  Divinity  upon 
his  brow.  He  should  pity  him  in  his  abject  state,  and  deplore  the 
calamity  which  has  befallen  him.  He  should  point  him  to  the  cross, 
strive  to  gaugj  the  value  of  his  soul,  and  in  imagination  trace  its 
pathway  of  glory  or  of  shame  in  the  endless  cycles  of  its  being.  He 
should  also  have  a  mind  properly  cultivated,  and  stored  with  useful 
knowledge.  He  must  be  apt  to  teach.  He  must  be  able  to  govern 
himself,  and  never  yield,  however  strong  the  provocation,  to  the 
impulse  of  passion.  It  is  here  that  many  fail.  They  give  way  to 
angry  denunciation,  and  for  ever  lose  the  charm,  the  talismanic  power, 
of  government.  A  person  of  sour,  morose  temper,  should  never  be 
intrusted  with  the  management  of  youth.  His  presence  is  like  the 
night-mare,  fitted  only  to  scare.  The  teacher  should  never  deceive  his 
pupils.  He  should  win  their  confidence — should  be  mild,  yet  firm,  in 
the  administration  of  discipline ;  should  study  the  characters  of  those 
committed  to  his  care,  and  adapt  himself  to  their  peculiarities  of  tem- 
perament and  habit ;  for  no  two  are  alike,  and  each,  consequently, 
requires  treatment  peculiar  to  himself.  Hence  the  necessity  of  cool- 
ness and  deliberation  on  the  part  of  the  instructor.  A  placid  temper, 
a  keenness  of  discrimination,  an  unceasing  watchfulness,  and  readiness 
at  interpreting  the  character,  as  indicated  by  ten  thousand  indescriba- 
ble foreshadowings  —  these  are  indispensable  requisites.  Such  are 
some  of  the  elements  of  a  good  teacher.  But  where  are  these  to  be 
found  ?    Alas,  alas  !  for  the  infirmities  of  humanity  ! 

In  speaking  of  the  difficulties  which  beset  this  Institution  at  its 
origin,  I  have  been  led,  and  naturally,  to  the  preceding  reflections.  I 
am  warned,  however,  by  the  limits  assigned  me  on  this  occasion,  and 
must  beg  your  indulgence  for  a  few  moments  longer,  while  I  call  to 
mind  some  other  passages  of  its  history. 

And  here  it  is  right  that  we  should  acknowledge  our  indebtedness 
to  an  all-gracious  Providence,  for  the  prosperity  we  have  enjoyed. 
The  Institution  has  been  munificently  sustained.  The  patronage  of 
its  friends  has  far  exceeded  the  most  sanguine  expectations.  We  have 
often  been  straitened  for  room,  and  numbers  of  pupils  declined  on 
that  account.  It  might  not  be  uninteresting  to  know  the  whole  num- 
ber of  pupils  who  have  been  connected  with  this  Institution  from  its 
foundation.  This,  so  far  as  a  careful  examination  discloses,  amounts 
to  twenty-six  hundred  and  eighteen.  The  greatest  number  at  any  one 
time  was  four  hundred  and  ninety-two;  the  smallest  number,  which 
was  during  the  first  term,  was  three  hundred  and  thirty-nine.  The 
average  number  for  the  fall  terms  during  the  twelve  years  has  been 


9 


four  hundred  and  fifty-five.  On  the  10th  of  November,  1845,  there 
were  four  hundred  and  eighty-one  pupils  present— the  largest  number 
ever  in  attendance  on  any  particular  day.  In  1845  we  had  six  hun- 
dred and  thirty-five  pupils;  in  1846;  six  hundred  and  eighty  pupils. 

Of  those  who  entered  twelve  years  ago  last  May,  at  the  opening  of 
the  Institution,  four  are  still  members  of  the  school,  and  are  among 
the  graduates  to-day.  Three  of  these  young  ladies  learned  their 
alphabet  here,  and  two  of  them  have  scarcely  been  absent  during  this 
long  period  of  time.  Here  is  to  be  found  the  secret  of  success  in 
scholarship.  There  is  time  for  growth;  the  development  is  not  spas- 
modic, but  slow  and  healthful.  Parents  would  do  well  to  reflect 
upon  this  subject,  and  when  they  have  placed  their  daught  rs  under 
proper  scholastic  training,  there  to  let  them  remain.  The  frequent 
changing  of  schools  is  destructive  to  the  scholar's  improvement. 

The  following  facts  wiB  show  the  good  degree  of  success  the  Insti- 
tution enjoys  in  retaining  its  pupils : 

62  have  been  members  of  ihe  School  for  20  continuous  terms. 


50  "  "  24 

24  "  "  28 

17  "  "  32 

4  "  "  36 

5  "  "  40 
3  "44 
2  «  "  49 


The  whole  number  of  graduates,  including  those  of  to-day,  is  one 
hundred  and  seventy.  Thirty-five  of  them  were  here  at  the  opening 
of  the  Institution,  in  1839.  They  are  scattered  far  and  wide  in  va- 
rious parts  of  the  world.  Three  of  them  are  missionaries :  one  in 
the  South  of  Fiance  and  two  in  Asia.  One  of  them,  a  daughter  of 
the  devoted  Ilarriet  L.  Winslow,  is  following  the  example  of  her 
sainted  mother,  and  is  diffusing  the  blessed  influences  of  the  gospel 
among  the  natives  of  India.  Death  has  not  left  this  sister-band  un- 
broken. Two  have  been  called  to  the  spirit-land.  They  died  amid 
the  transports  of  faith.  Oh,  how  beautiful  is  the  earthly  departure 
of  the  young!  Just  as  the  buds  of  promise  are  beginning  to  develop 
their  loveliness,  they  are  gently  transferred  to  the  garden  of  the 
Lord.  No  scorching  sun,  no  withering  wind  shall  ever  reach  them 
more.  In  everlasting  beauty  shall  they  blossom  and  yield  their 
fragrance  to  the  breath  of  heaven. 

There  have  been  eighty -six  different  teachers  in  the  Institution,  rot 
including  those  who  have  given  occasional  courses  of  lectures.  All 
of  them,  it  is  believed,  are  living.    The  greatest  number  employed 


10 


at  ary  one  time  was  twenty-five.  Of  those  who  received  the  first 
appointments,  only  one  beside  the  speaker  remains — the  teacher  of 
the  French  department.  These  facts  speak  well  for  the  health  of 
both  teachers  and  pupils.  We  have  been  greatly  blessed  in  this 
respect. 

Before  coming  to  this  city,  I  had  spent  several  years  in  teaching 
lads  and  young  men.  I  had  also  taught  young  ladies.  There  were 
two  or  three  questions  in  female  education,  which  I  had  long  wished 
to  have  solved.  •  One  was,  the  capacity  of  the  female  mind  for  the 
abstract  sciences ;  another,  how  far  is  it  practicable  to  carry  females 
in  such  studies ;  and  a  third,  which  can  acquire  them  with  the  greater 
facility,  boys  or  girls  ? 

My  opinion  as  to  the  first  and  second  has  already  been  indicated. 
We  have  not  time  at  present  for  the  discussion  of  the  last.  I  would 
only  say  that  from  my  knowledge  of  the  subject,  derived  from  long 
experience  and  observation,  I  am  inclined  to  think  thrt  girls  from 
twelve  to  eighteen  years  of  age  are  more  apt  to  learn  than  boys  of 
the  same  age.  Their  apprehension  is  quicker.  They  master  a  sub- 
ject in  less  time.  They  are  more  facile  and  ingenious  in  their  modes 
of  analysis.  Their  knowledge  is  more  definite  and  less  encumbered. 
Boys  are  more  plodding,  are  less  inclined  to  study,  have  stronger 
appetites,  a  greater  fondness  for  juvenile  sports,  are  more  restless  and 
impatient  of  restraint.  I  have  found  that  more  can  be  done  with  a 
class  of  girls  in  the  study  of  the  higher  mathematics,  in  the  same 
time,  than  with  boys.  The  same  may  be  said  of  psychology,  logic, 
and  metaphysics.  I  have  often  been  astonished  at  the  power  of 
analysis  young  ladies  have  manifested  in  the  discussion  of  these  pio- 
found  subjects.  I  can  easily  fancy  that  old  Plato  would  have  been 
delighted,  could  he  have  witnessed  the  dialectical  skill  of  these  young 
metaphysician  ,  and  would  not  have  been  satisfied  with  confining  his 
instructions  to  the  young  men  of  the  Academy. 

These  observations  refer  to  the  sexes,  however,  before  coming  to 
maturity.  It  is  doubtless  true,  that  women  have  not  that  deep  intel- 
lectuality of  men,  that  strength  and  toughness  of  mental  fibre ;  but 
they  posseis  what  is  perhaps  still  better,  a  more  delicate  and  appre- 
ciative perception  of  truth,  and  a  facility  in  the  use  of  those  powers 
with  which  they  are  invested.  This  is  witnessed  in  conversation  and 
in  the  common  affairs  of  life.  They  are  the  cleverest  talkers,  and 
when  cultivated,  make  the  most  graceful  writers  and  agreeable  com- 
panions. The  intellect  of  man  is  more  ponderous  and  of  sterner 
stuff,  which  in  its  movements  crashes  and  demolishes,  like  the  battle- 
axe  of  Richard ;  while  that  of  woman  is  of  lighter  and  purer  metal, 


li 


and  in  its  graceful  parries  and  thrusts,  glitters  and  cuts  like  the 
scimitar  of  Saladin. 

Another  question  of  interest  arose,  viz.:  How  far  will  it  do  to  take 
classes  of  young  ladies  in  the  study  of  natural  philosophy  ;  nd  chem- 
istry ?  I  have  found  that  our  older  pupils  can  study  these  sub- 
jects with  profit,  in  all  their  variety  and  extent.  My  course  has 
embraced  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  lectures,  which  were  fully 
illustrated  by  experiment,  and  occupied  two  years  in  their  delivery. 
Chemistry  has  been  one  of  our  mcst  interesting  and  profitable  sub- 
jects of  study. 

I  had  not  intended  to  speak  of  the  pecuniary  resources  of  the  Insti- 
tution. These  have  been  large,  and  necessarily  so,  in  order  to  meet 
the  expenditures  of  such  an  establishment.  An  institution  cannot 
accomplish  the  great  objects  of  education,  unless  it  enjoy  the  requi- 
site pecuniary  facilities.  This  first  demands  attention,  and  the  spirit 
which  ought  to  prevail  in  the  minds  of  its  founders  should  be  one  of 
liberality.  No  dividends  in  money  should  be  expected  or  received. 
This  is  one  of  the  few  incorporated  academic  institutions  in  the 
State  which  pay*  annual  dividends  to  its  stockholders.  It  is  right, 
if  an  institution  can  sustain  itself,  that  some  deduction  in  tuition  be 
made  in  favor  of  those  who  contributed  to  its  establishment ;  but  no 
equivalent  should  be  returned  in  money.  This  is  degrading  educa- 
tion. It  is  bringing  it  into  the  marts  of  commerce  and  making  mer- 
chandise of  it.  It  is  wedding  it  to  Mammon,  and  robbing  it  of  its 
vestal  purity. 

I  would  respectfully  suggest,  and  I  presume  the  suggestion  would 
meet  with  the  approbation  of  the  stockholders  generally,  that  all  future 
dividends  be  paid  in  tuition,  or  what  is  better,  contributed  to  the 
library  and  cabinets  of  the  Institute.  If  this  were  done,  no  one  would 
be  impoverished  by  the  contribution ;  but  the  Institution,  in  a  few 
years,  would  vie  with  the  best  endowed  establishments  of  the  old  or 
new  world,  in  its  appointments  in  all  the  departments  of  belles-lettres 
and  science. 

Gentlemen  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  : 

In  severing  the  relations  which  have  united  us  for  so  long  a  period, 
allow  me  to  express  to  you  my  thanks  for  the  uniform  kindness  you 
have  always  shown  me.  The  object  of  our  labors  and  of  our  sympa- 
thies, although  we  have  had  different  parts  to  play  in  the  execution 
of  it,  has  been  the  same.  Standing  as  you  do  between  me  and  my 
associates  in  the  department  of  instruction  on  the  one  hand,  and  those 
who  have  committed  the  education  of  their  daughters  to  us  on  the 


12 


other,  you  have  been  called  upon  to  act  as  the  conservators  of  impor- 
tant interests.  Happy  am  I  to  bear  witness  to  the  faithfulness  with 
which  you  have  executed  your  trusts.  You  have  turned  aside  from 
the  avocations  of  business,  and  generously  devoted  a  part  of  your  val- 
uable time  to  the  Institution.  In  this  labor  of  love,  you  have  the 
conviction  of  having  rendered  an  important  service  to  the  stockhold- 
ers of  the  Institution  in  particular,  and  to  the  community  in  general. 
You  have  cast  your  influence  on  the  side  of  sound  learning,  and  dili- 
gently labored  for  its  advancement.  You  have  helped  to  rear  an 
institution  in  a  part  of  the  city  which  is  in  some  respects  isolated. 
The  advantages  of  your  labors,  however,  have  not  been  confined  by 
geographical  limits ;  but  these  have  been  extended  to  all  parts  of  the 
metropolis,  and  to  the  tcwns  adjacent.  The  Institution  has  become 
an  object  of  affectionate  interest  to  the  old  and  to  the  young.  Here 
is  a  rallying  point — a  place  where  friendships  have  been  formed  and 
cemented,  where  good  influences  have  been  imparted  and  received. 
It  is  the  pride  of  the  Ward.  In  a  commercial  point  of  view — and 
this  is  a  view  which  is  often  taken  of  things  in  these  days — it  will  be 
seen  that  a  literary  institution  is  no  disadvantage  to  the  wealth  of  a 
community.  Property  suffers  no  depreciation  on  that  account.  It 
creates  wealth.  It  sustains  the  respectability  of  wealth.  But  its  true 
value  is  not  to  be  measured  by  the  revenue  it  secures.  It  strikes 
deeper  chords ;  it  touches  more  vital  interests.  It  deals  with  the  im- 
perishable mind ;  it  takeo  hold  upon  eternity,  and  tracks  its  way  to 
the  very  throne  of  God. 

To  you,  Mr.  President,  are  these  remarks  particularly  applicable. 
You  have  labored  for  the  Institution  in  season  and  out  of  season. 
You  have  done  what  you  could  for  its  prosperity.  I  have  always 
found  in  you  a  faithful  friend.  Our  views  on  all  the  leading  topics 
of  education  have  harmonized.  It  is  to  this  fact,  among  others,  that 
the  prosperity  of  the  Institution  is  indebted,  A  house  divided  against 
itself  cannot  stand.  I  am  also  happy  to  refer  to  the  good  feeling 
which  has  marked  all  your  deliberations  and  counsels  as  a  Board  of 
Trustees.  You  have  indicated  by  your  conduct  the  desire  to  sink  all 
considerations  of  a  personal  character,  and  to  labor  for  the  welfare  of 
the  many.  For  your  kindness  to  me  personally,  and  for  the  many 
marks  of  your  approbation  which  from  time  to  time  you  have  seen  fit 
to  bestow  upon  me,  I  beg  you,  one  and  all,  to  accept  my  heartfelt 
thanks.  I  leave  you  with  my  best  wishes  for  your  prosperity  and 
happiness. 

A  few  parting  words  to  you,  my  Beloved  Fellow-Teachers.  It 
is  with  regret  that  I  leave  this  beautiful  vineyard,  which  we  have 


13 


taken  so  much  pleasure  in  cultivating  together.  You  have  shared 
with  me  in  its  toils,  its  responsibilities,  and  its  rewards.  IIow  de- 
lightful has  been  the  privilege  to  train  the  tender  vines,  and  watch 
their  growth  !  These  are  pleasures  peculiar  to  the  teacher.  Here 
the  world  cannot  enter.  II ere  there  are  ties  that  bind  and  sympa- 
thies that  kindle,  known  only  to  spirits  of  kindred  mould.  'Tis  here 
we  have  learned  much  of  the  human  heart.  Childhood  wears  no 
disguise.  Its  judgment  is  weak,  its  passions  strong.  Now  it  revels 
in  a  world  of  beauty,  and  gilds  every  object  with  light.  Now  it  is 
groping  its  way  in  darkness,  with  naught  to  cheer  its  saddened  spirit. 
Now  it  delights  itself  in  what  is  orderly  and  becoming ;  now  in  what 
is  grotesque  and  mischievous.  What  keenness  of  discrimination, 
what  delicacy  of  action,  what  unction  of  heavenly  wisdom,  is  requisite 
to  mould  so  delicate  a  mechanism,  and  give  to  each  and  all  its  parts 
that  adjustment  and  direction  that  it  may  be  in  harmony  with  itself 
and  with  the  universe  of  God  ! 

This  has  been  our  appointed  work.  You  know  its  difficulties. 
You  have  experienced  its  trials.  If  I  know  my  heart,  it  has  ever 
been  my  desire  to  alleviate  your  burdens  and  strengthen  your  hands ; 
to  pour  oil  on  the  waters  of  strife,  and  allay  commotions  within  and 
without.  Here  I  have  felt  for  you.  Here  I  have  tried  to  aid  and 
encourage  you,  But,  if  I  have  given  one  unnecessary  pang;  if  I  have 
said  an  unkind  word,  and  done  an  unkind  deed,  I  beg  you  to  forgive 
me.  I  have  often  failed  where  my  intentions  were  good.  And  now, 
in  extending  to  you  the  parting  hand,  I  shall  bear  away  with  me  the 
recollections  of  the  many  happy  years  we  have  passed  together. 
May  your  days  of  usefulness  and  happiness  be  long  continued ! 

And  now,  my  Dear  Pupils,  what  shall  I  say  to  you?  I  cannot 
give  utterance  to  the  emotions  of  my  heart.  I  did  not  count  the 
struggle  it  would  cost  me  to  say  farewell.  I  have  labored  for  your 
improvement  and  rejoiced  in  your  success.  I  have  endeavored  to 
hold  up  to  your  view  the  pleasures  of  a  life  of  study  and  contempla- 
tion. I  have  tried  to  persuade  you  to  break  away  from  the  fascina- 
tions of  sense,  and  cultivate  those  powers  of  intellect  and  heart 
which  the  God  of  grace  has  given  you.  Many  of  you  have  been 
under  my  care  for  years,  some  for  the  entire  period  of  your  pupilage, 
and  finish  your  course  to-day.  The  lecture-room,  the  halls,  the 
chapel,  have  been  delightful  places  to  us.  The  memory  of  those 
morning  gatherings,  the  song  of  praise  and  the  sweet  incense  of 
prayer,  ascending  from  young  hearts,  will  not  soon  be  effaced ;  the 
impressions  of  them  will  deepen  as  years  roll  on,  and  mingled  feelings 
of  joy  and  sadness  will  fill  the  soul,  as  we  glance  over  the  catalogue 


14 


of  those  familiar  names.  It  will  then  be  seen  that  the  cold  hand  of 
death  has  been  laid  upon  one  and  another,  ere  the  beauty  of  youth 
had  lost  its  freshness.  One  is  pining  in  solitude  and  disappointment. 
She  had  anticipated  much  from  the  world.  Her  morning  sun  rose 
bright,  but  soon  it  hid  itself  in  clouds  and  left  her  soul  in  darkness. 
One  has  been  happy  in  her  associations.  Surrounded  by  all  that 
could  inspire  delight,  she  has  lived  in  an  atmosphere  of  love  and 
beauty.  No  shade  of  care  has  veiled  her  brow  or  dimmed  her  eye. 
Another  has  led  a  life  of  self-denying  usefulness.  She  has  gone, 
it  may  be,  to  foreign  lands,  where  she  is  repeating  the  lessons  of  wis- 
dom she  learned  in  early  youth.  How  various  the  allotments  of 
each !  How  checkered  is  human  life !  But  there  is  a  point  to 
which  all  earthly  distinctions  are  converging.  There  is  no  knowledge 
nor  device  in  the  grave  to  which  we  are  hastening.  Individual 
character  will  alone  remain.  Decay  cannot  touch  the  soul.  It  wil] 
live  when  worlds  dissolve. 

Finally,  to  you,  Young  Ladies  of  the  Graduating  Class,  I  would 
say  a  few  words.  You  have  now  finished  your  studies  here.  But 
bear  in  mind,  your  education  is  but  just  commenced.  You  have  but 
laid  a  good  foundation.  It  is  your  privilege  to  go  forward  and  rear 
a  superstructure  becoming  your  sex  and  the  age  in  which  you  live. 
Woman  is  to  exercise  an  influence  on  this  continent,  such  as  the  world 
has  never  witnessed.  This  is  to  be  the  special  theatre  for  the  exhi- 
bition of  those  talents  with  which  she  is  so  richly  endowed.  These 
must  be  exerted  for  the  good  of  society,  for  the  salvation  of  the  world. 
It  is  a  privilege  to  live  now,  and  see  the  amazing  transformations 
which  are  taking  place  among  the  nations.  See  to  it,  that  you  act 
well  your  part.  Remember  that  silent  influences  are  often  the  most 
powerful.  Be  contented  to  live  humbly,  and  do  with  your  might 
whatsoever  your  hand  findeth  to  do.  Love  your  Alma  Mater. 
Cherish  her  fair  name.  Attend  her  anniversary  gatherings.  It  has 
been  a  favorite  project  of  mine  during  the  past  year  to  form  an  asso- 
ciation of  the  graduates  for  mutual  acquaintance  and  improvement. 
I  trust  this  will  yet  be  done.  Should  life  be  spared  and  duty  per- 
mit, it  would  give  me  great  pleasure  to  meet  with  you  on  such 
occasions,  and  renew  the  friendships  of  other  days. 

Let  me  beg  you,  my  young  friends,  and  all  the  members  of  the 
school,  to  listen  to  the  voice  of  heavenly  wisdom.  Be  faithful  to. 
yourselves;  live  for  God  and  the  good  of  others;  and  it  will  matter 
little  in  the  end  whether  prosperity  or  adversity  marked  your  earthly 
career.  Oh,  if  redeemed,  what  vistas  of  glory  will  break  upon  your 
vision,  and  ravish  your  souls  when  mortality  is  swallowed  up  of  life, 


♦ 


15 


and  you  ascend  upon  those  swift-winged  chariots  of  fire  into  the 
bosom  of  the  Eternal.  Then  you  shall  be  clad  in  vestments  of  ever- 
lasting beauty ;  you  shall  become  the  companions  of  angels ;  you 
shall  behold  those  sapphire  thrones,  those  crystal  palaces,  those  tem- 
ples not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens. 

Farewell,  beloved  flock,  till  we  meet  amid  those  undying  splendors, 
and  join  in  the  acclamations  of  praise  to  Him  who  sitteth  upon  the 
throne,  and  to  the  Lamb  for  ever  ! 


I  AVERY  I 


\ 


